quigley



J. T. QUIGLEY.

FILING AND INDEXING EQUIPMENT.

APPLICATION FILED Nov. 2. 191-8.

1 387,0 1 O Patented Aug. 9, 1921.

3 SHEETSSHEET l Invenibr John T 7202395363- l. T. QUIGLEY.

FILING AND mmaxmc EQUIPMENT.

APPLICATION FILED NOV- 2. I9IB.

Patented Au 9,1921

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

l8 20 E? 2' so /8 APE C CCFC (5 E 8 Iii/22621302 John 1719a J. T. QUIGLEY.

FILING AND INDEXING EQUIPMENT.

APPLICATION FILED NOV-2,1918.

Patented Aug. 9, 1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

* John :11 wi ze JOHN T. QUIGLEY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO COSTMETER COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

FILING AND INDEXING- EQUIPMENT.

Application filed November 2, 1918.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, JOHN T. QUIGLEY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Filing and Indexing Equipment, of which the following descrlptlon, in connection with the accompanylng drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to filing and 1ndexing equipments of the class in wh ch the cards or sheets are arranged with their identification-bearing margins in overlapplng relationship, so as to present them all to view at one time, and aims to providean equipment oi this class in which provlsion is made to permit one or more sheets to be offset from the remainder by shifting them lengthwise of their respective sheet-holders.

My invention will be best understood by reference to the following description, when talrenin connection with the accompanying drawings of one specific embodiment thereof selected for illustration, while its scope will be more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of an illustrative filing and indexingequipment embodyin my invention, showing the same as it appears with some of the sheets offset;

Fig. 2 is an elevation of one of the sheets and sheet-holders, showing the sheet unfolded;

F 3 is a sectional view on line 33 of 1, showing the sheet uplifted preparatory to the operation of oi'lsetting the same;

Fig. is a sectional view, similar to Fig. 3, but showing the sheet-holder flexed or bowed, and the sheet unlocked from the sheet-holder; and

is a sectional view similar to Fig. 4, but showing the sheet shifted laterally to bring the offset of the sheet holder into registration with another perforation in the sheet in readiness for reengagement therewith.

Referring to the drawings, and to the embodiment of my invention which is illus,

tratcd therein, I have shown for purposes of exemplification a filing and indexing equipment comprising a plurality ofsheets 10 arranged with'their identification-bearing margins in overlapping relationship,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Au. 9, 1921.

Serial No. 260,843.

said sheets being held by sheet-holders 11,

whose terminal portions 12 (see Fig. 3) are mounted in suitable hearings in an appropriate mounting 13, the latter being herein of common form having a pair of inwardlyprojecting flanges 14 forming channels 15 to receive the terminal portions 12. Preferably the latter are cylindrical, and form trunnions about the axes of which the sheets and sheet-holders may be turned to present either face of the sheet to view. The trunnions rest on one another and maintain the identification bearing margins in properly spaced relationship, there being provided suitable means, herein upper and lower stops 16 and 17, to prevent the trunnions from shifting lengthwise of the channels. The sheets may be arranged and re-arranged from time to time, by removing the sheets and sheet-holders, and placing them in the desired arrangement. This may be accomplished by bending, or bowing, the sheetholder to reduce its length, and to allow its terminal portions to be withdrawn from or replaced in the channels.

To facilitate the removal and replacement of the sheet-holders, the latter are herein made of suitable resilient material, such as tempered wire, which permits them to be bowed, so that their ends may be withdrawn from beneath the retaining flanges 14. The resiliency of the. wire is utilized for other important purposes, which will presently appear.

The sheet holders are attached to their respective sheets by folding the latter and providing them with perforations 18 adja cent the fold of each sheet, the sheet-holder extending through one of these perforations into and along said fold, and out through the other, as clearly shown in Fig. .3, thus forming a readily attachable and detachable connection between the sheet and sheetholder. To remove the sheet from the sheetholder, the latter is first sprung out of its place in the mounting, and then the sheetholder is shifted lengthwise while maintaining its bowed form. to facilitate withdrawing the trunnions 12 through the perforations 18. The sheets and sheet-holder may be reassembled by a reversal of the foregoing operation.

Under some circumstances, it is desirable to offset one or more of the sheets, thereby to distinguish them temporarily from the others, or in other words to constitute a signal Or signals. This is well illustrated in Fig. 1, in which I have shown several of the sheets offset toward the left, and several offset toward the right, from the others, by shifting them lengthwise of their respective sheet-holders. It is obvious that, in order that this may be done, the mounting 13 should have suitable provision for permitting lateral displacement of the sheets with relation to the mounting, as by having its flanges ll spaced apart a distance substantially greater than the width of the sheets. It is desirable that when the sheets are thus offset, they shall be locked, in order to prevent accidental derangement. It is also desirable that the sheets which are not offset shall be similarly locked against accidental movement. I have, therefore, made provision for causing the sheets and sheetholders to interlock with each other in a plurality of positions.

To these ends, I have provided the sheet and sheet-holder with suitable interengag ing means, utilizing the resiliency of the sheet-holder to permit disengagement and rearrangement of such means by flexing the sheet-holder. This may be done in various ways, as by providing the latter with an offset 19, (see the upper central portion of Fig. 1) which may be received in any one of a plurality of perforations 20, herein three, adjacent the fold of the sheet and suitably spaced according to the needs of the situation. Usually the offset will be received in the middle perforation, and the sheet will be normally positioned thereby in the middle of the mounting. If, now, it is desired to offset the sheet toward the right or left, this may be done by simply grasping the sheet, turning the same at an angle to the plane of the sheet-holder, and then eX- erting an outward pull which will result in flexing and bowing the sheet-holder, as well illustrated in Fig. 4, thereby withdrawing the offset 19 from the perforation 20, which it normally occupied. lVhile still maintaining'the sheot-holder under stress, the sheet is then shifted in one direction or the other, to bring the offset 19 into registration with the desired perforation 20, as well illustrated in Fig. 5, whereupon the sheet is re leased and the sheet-holder straightens, thus causing the offset to enter the new perforation, whereupon the sheet is locked in its new position. It is obvious that any suitable number of perforations may be employed to provide the desired number of offset positions.

This means for offsetting the sheets and locking them. in each of their offset positions is one of great utility, as it may be made use of for a wide variety of purposes in various lines of business when running through an index or file, since each sheet which it is desired to reserve for future attention may be distinguished from the others either temporarily or permanently by laterally offsetting the same in one direction or the other to the desired degree. The advantage of this should be readily apparent, especially in the case of accounting operations, where posting checking and recapitulating are done. This is of special advantage in connection with an index or file of the overlapping type, because all of the offset sheets are presented to view at one time, and without the necessity of handling them.

Having thus described one specific embodiment of my invention, but without limiting myself thereto, what I claim and desire by Letters Patent to secure is:

1. In an equipment of the class described, the combination of a sheet and a sheet-holder extending through said sheet, said sheet and sheet-holder having coiperating interengaging means providing for securing them in any one of a plurality of predetermined rela tive positions with respect to the length of said sheet-holder.

2. In an equipment of the class described, the combination of a folded sheet and a sheet-holder extending through the fold of said sheet, said sheet and sheet-holder having coiper'ating interengaging means provided for securing them in any one of a plurality of predetermined relative positions with respect to the length of said sheetholder.

3. In an equipment of the class described, the combination of a sheet provided with a plurality of perforations, and a sheet-holder extending through one or more of said perforations and provided With laterally projecting means normally received in another perforation.

4. In an equipment of the class described, the combination of a sheet provided with a plurality of perforations, and a sheet-holder extending through one or more of said perforations and provided with laterally projecting means receivable inany one of a plurality of other perforations.

5. In an equipment of the class described, the combination of a folded sheet provided with aplurality of perforations adjacent the fold, and a sheet-holder received in said fold and extending through one Or more of said perforations and provided with laterally projecting means receivable in any one of a plurality of other perforations.

6. In an equipment of the class described, the combination of a sheet, a resilient sheetholder, and bearings for the terminal portions of said sheet-holder, said sheet and sheet-holder being interengaged at a plurality of points and having cotiperating means inter-engageable in any one of a plurality of other definite positions, and utilizing the resiliency of said sheet-holder to permit disengagement and ree'ngagement of said means by flexing said sheet-holder.

7. In an equipment of the class described, the combination of a sheet provided with a plurality of perforations, a resilient sheetholder engaged with a plurality of said perforations and having laterally projecting means receivable in any one of a plurality of others of said perforations, and bearings for the terminal portions of said sheet-holder, said means being adapted to enter into and withdraw from said latter perforations by flexing said sheet-holder.

8. In an equipment of the class described, the combination of a sheet, a resilient sheetholder, and bearings for the terminal portions of said sheet-holder, said sheet and sheet-holder being interengaged at a plurality of points and having cooperating means inter-engageable in any one of a plurality of other definite positions, said means being disengageable and reengageable by bowing said sheet-holder intermediate said bearings.

9. In an equipment of the class described, the combination of a sheet, a resilient sheetholder, and bearings for the terminal portions of said sheet-holder, said sheet and sheet-holder being interengaged at a plurality of points and having cooperating means interengageable in any one of a plurality of other definite positions, said means being disengageable and reengageable by pulling said sheet laterally thereby to bow said sheetholder intermediate said bearings.

10. In an equipment of the class described, the combination of a folded sheet provided with a plurality of perforations adjacent the fold, and a sheet-holder comprising a resilient wire extending through one of said perforations into and along said fold and out through another of said perforations, said wire being provided with a lateral offset normally received in another of said perforations, said offset being disengageable from and reengageable with any one of a plurality of said perforations by flexing said wire.

11. In an equipment of the class described, the combination of a plurality of sheets having overlapping margins, a plurality of sheet-holders comprising wires extending through their respective sheets, the latter being mounted to shift longitudinally, and a gig mounting for said sheet-holders, said sheetholders and mounting being constructed to permit one or more of said sheets to be ofiset with relation to the remainder by shifting such sheet or sheets longitudinally of their respective sheet-holders, and said sheets and sheet-holders having cooperating means to retain said sheet or sheets so offset.

12. In an equipment of the class described, the combination of a plurality of sheets having overlapping margins, a plurality of sheet-holders comprising wires extending through their respective sheets, and adapted to permit the latter to shift longitudinally, and a mounting for said sheet-holders, said mounting having provision to permit one or more of said sheets to be offset with relation to the remainder by shifting such sheet or sheets longitudinally of their respective sheet-holders, said sheet being provided with one or more perforations and said sheetholder being provided with laterally projecting means adapted to engage therewith to retain said sheets in the desired positions with reference to said sheet-holders.

18. In a filing equipment, the combination of a series of overlapping sheets, and a series of flexible sheet-holding means interengaged with said sheets at a plurality of points in each, and having other portions interengaging with said sheets, respectively, and disengageable therefrom by flexing said sheetholding means.

1-5:. In a filing equipment, the combination of a series of overlapping sheets, each provided with a plurality of perforations, and a series of flexible sheet-holders one for each sheet engaged with a plurality of said perforations and having means entering one of the other perforations of its respective sheet, said means being shiftable from one perforation to another by flexing said sheet.

15. In a filing equipment, the combination of a series of overlapping sheets, and a series of flexible sheet-holding means, each sheet and sheet-holding means being interengaged at a plurality of points and having means interengageable in a plurality of other definite positions and disengageable bv flexing said sheet-holding means.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

JOHN T. QUIGLEY. 

